


Of Crushes and Candlelight dinners

by orphan_account



Category: Callan (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2015-06-01
Packaged: 2018-04-02 06:53:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4050445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liz has a crush on David. Toby finds out and enlists Lonely's help to bring them together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Crushes and Candlelight dinners

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Judopixie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Judopixie/gifts).



'Morning Liz,' Toby smiled at her brightly. He still hated early morning starts but at least Hunter did not enforce punctuality as much as his predecessor did.

Liz hid the piece of paper she had been absentmindedly doodling on. Toby leaned forward to glance at the paper.

'You have a crush on Mr. Callan, that's not exactly a secret is it?' 

'I wasn't aware I had told anyone about it.' Liz muttered her cheeks aflame with embarrassment, 'It's no use. We work together, I can't be involved with Mr. Callan, with David, it would be messy if it didn't work out.'

'But what if it did Liz? There's no harm in finding out, is there?'

'I'd rather not. This is silly of me.'

'Not at all, I can see why somebody would be attracted to David, hypothetically. He's not the most handsome of men but...'

'But he's smart, affectionate, he cares about people, he has a sense of humour, doesn't suffer fools gladly and knows his own mind.'

Exactly,' Toby smiled playing with a pen on the desk, 'I couldn't have put it better myself. I really think you should give it a try. Ask David out.' 

'Liz, can you send Meres in.' Hunter's voice came over the intercom.

'Right away sir.'

She pushed him away smiling and he went, giving her a knowing look and a charming smile.

In the evening Toby found Lonely who was working at a restaurant temporarily.

'Blimey, you're the last person I expected to see 'ere Mr Meres,' He replied in greeting as he washed the cups.

'Lonely, old son, I've got a job for you which requires your thieving skills. This time though, it's for a good cause.'

Toby explained the situation to Lonely. 'So you see Lonely, we've got to get them together somehow. David is still heartbroken after the death of his nurse girlfriend, what's-her-name. He doesn't see Liz as someone he'd date. Liz has a crush on David but will never take it any further than that.

Lonely laughed over his cup of coffee, 'Cor, blimey 'tis funny to 'ear you talk about somethin' other than business or bustin' my arse.'

'I'm still capable of that Lonely, don't tempt me. Now, I've got somewhere in mind, it's a house but it's empty and Callan and Liz could meet there by accident and...'

Lonely laughed again, 'I thought you fancied 'im, Mr. Meres.'

'What?' Meres looked at Lonely sharply, 'Where did you get that idea?'

'I've seen you with blokes Mr. Meres, ooh lovely 'andsome blokes they are too and never with a bird, Mr. Meres.'

Toby lifted him by the collars of his shirt, 'You better keep your mouth zipped about it, alright old son? It wouldn't be the first time you'll find yourself losing your memory and ending up in a hospital because of me.' His manner was smooth and calm and his voice was barely above a whisper but Lonely could sense he meant business and the memory of being beaten up by Toby Meres was still raw and fresh in his mind.

'I just seen a look in your eyes, sometimes, which looked like you fancied 'im. I wasn't gonna squeal on you anyway, 'onest Mr. Meres.' Lonely ducked and closed his eyes, expecting Meres to hit him in anger.

Toby just laughed as he lit his cigarette, 'You just remember that Lonely and keep your mouth shut, alright? Good, so we understand each other. Now about this safe house. I'm going to tell David that Hunter has asked him to visit the safe house to make sure all the security arrangements are in place because we are moving someone very important into it soon, who you don't need to know about. David will ask you to tag along and help break into the safe house and check that it is secure, now you just remember to make your excuses and leave him there as soon as you can and I'll make sure that Liz gets there, as does a romantic dinner by dial-a-banquet.'

'That is so sweet o' you Mr. Meres. I know you're doing it because you fancy Mr. Callan and want to see 'im 'appy but I've got a shift at the restaurant, I'll lose me job 'ere.'

'My reasons are unimportant. You just make sure you do as I ask,' Toby threw the cigarette on the floor and gently crushed it with his boot, 'Oh and keep your mouth shut, that's a good chap.'

The night did not go as smoothly as Toby had envisioned. There were many glitches including late delivery of the dinner and Callan was almost on the point of leaving because Lonely nearly blurted out the plan in his eagerness to go back to his restaurant shift. Despite this, Liz and Callan unexpectedly found themselves left together in a safe house. Callan was annoyed to find that the job he was sent on was nothing except a sham but Liz persuaded him to stay for the dinner that was supposedly meant for the Soviet defector whose arrival had been delayed. They found themselves enjoying a candlelight dinner and getting to know each other out of their work relationship.  

'How did it go Liz?' Toby asked in the morning as he read a file on a suspect under surveillance.

'We're going to have a second date. I don't know how to thank you. The dinner was great. David was lovely and charming, once he'd stopped being angry at you and Lonely for tricking him into coming.'

Toby smiled, 'I'll smooth things over with him. Just make sure you keep him happy Liz,' he whispered.

'Oh, I will.' She blushed and smiled dreamily. He recognized the smile because it was the same one he had whenever he thought of David. 

He smiled at her in return and thought that Liz and David deserved to be happy, especially after what David had been through with his girlfriend's death and if it worked out, he would be very pleased for them. He knocked on Hunter's door. A gruff voice answered and Toby went inside and shut the door but not before Hunter had started telling him not to use Section resources to plan romantic rendezvous even for friends. 


End file.
